


silhouettes

by narcissablaxk



Category: Cobra Kai (Web Series), Karate Kid (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Drabble, Emotional Comfort, M/M, PTSD, Panic Attacks, Protective Daniel LaRusso, Protective Johnny Lawrence, lawrusso
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:21:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27808261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/narcissablaxk/pseuds/narcissablaxk
Summary: Daniel spots Terry Silver at Valley Fest.
Relationships: Daniel LaRusso/Johnny Lawrence
Comments: 12
Kudos: 197





	silhouettes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [miyagidokarate1](https://archiveofourown.org/users/miyagidokarate1/gifts).



> This does show panic attacks and symptoms of PTSD, so if that's something that makes you uncomfortable, please be cautious.

It had been years since Daniel had a panic attack. The last time was when Sam was only two years old – she’d developed pneumonia and they had to hospitalize her for three days. The doctors were muttering in hushed tones about permanent damage to his daughter’s lungs and then the room closed in on him. He could hear nothing but his panicked breaths and the sounds of the hospital monitors.

He didn’t remember much after that, except his wife’s huge eyes and the shine of a doctor’s flashlight. 

He never liked losing control – in any avenue of his life. He kept every bit of his existence tightly tied up, carefully packaged. It kept panic at bay, and it made him feel secure. Sure, things had gotten a little shaken up as his divorce was finalized, but it was never out of control. Things only slipped slightly out of his careful boxes, and he had the time to put them back where they belonged. 

Now it felt easier. His boxes were where they belonged, and Amanda was happier, and he thought he might be happier too. They went to Valley Fest a completely different family than the year before, but still, they walked into Valley Fest a family. Anthony split off from the family to find his friends, and Sam and Robby were two steps ahead of him, bumping shoulders and talking about some book they had to read for school. 

And then he caught sight of a familiar set of shoulders, a bearing that took him by the collar of his shirt and yanked him back to 1985. He could tell, even while only looking at his back, who it was. He thought he was dead – he was supposed to be dead.

He had stopped breathing, and stopped walking – Amanda paused and turned back to him, her next bit of instructions about the LaRusso Auto booth now dead on her lips, her eyes full of concern, and the man Daniel was staring at shifted on his feet, made like he was going to turn around – 

His slow motion suddenly amplified into what felt like a fast forward; he reached for his ex-wife and yanked her behind him. He heard her, as if from down a tunnel, shout his name. His daughter, who was only a few yards from the phantom, turned at the sound. 

He reached out his hand for her, and she took it, fear filling her eyes at whatever she saw in his face. He pulled her behind him, grabbed Robby and pulled him too. 

He could hear only his breathing, a heavy, shallow thing that was too quick to sustain consciousness. It was only a matter of time before he passed out – his vision was spotting, his heartbeat thudding against his eardrums like it was trying to escape. Amanda had her hand on his shoulder, was saying soothing words in his ear, Sam was calling his name. He backed up, stumbled backward, and almost ran over his children doing it. He held his hands out, making sure they couldn’t escape from behind him. 

They didn’t know him, they couldn’t know him, they didn’t know what to expect, what to fear. He had to protect them. He had to – 

And the man turned, just enough that Daniel could see his profile and his fears were confirmed – Terry Silver. 

***

Everything settled haphazardly, like the advertising tools in the cardboard box Daniel was sitting beside. A moment before, everything was hazy at the edges and overexposed, like a burning photograph, and the next – he was sitting on the ground, arms around his knees, and his ex-wife was on the phone, her eyes on him. 

“Yeah, I understand. Thank you,” she said, hanging up the phone. 

“I spoke to security,” she said to Daniel’s questioning glance. “I described Terry Silver to them, and they are searching the fair for him, but Daniel,” she crouched down, level with him, and frowned. “He hasn’t done anything yet,” she said. “They can’t do anything if they find him.” 

He knew that – he expected that – he just didn’t know when he’d mentioned Terry Silver to his ex-wife.

“I asked someone to come keep an eye on you,” she continued when he didn’t speak. “LaRusso Auto is supposed to be giving some advertising talks, awarding trophies. I’m going to go cover for you so you can take a moment.” 

“Sam?” he asked. “Robby?” 

“I had Robby take the car and take her and Anthony to dinner,” Amanda said softly. “They’re safe.” 

He exhaled so much he felt like his lungs hurt. 

“Amanda?” 

Amanda turned and straightened up. “Johnny,” she said, with a wan smile. “Thanks for coming by.” 

Johnny was already looking at Daniel, who felt the sudden urge to stand and straighten up, to look less frightened. “What happened to you?” he asked. 

Amanda took him by the arm and led him away, probably explaining in hushed tones whatever Daniel had done that he didn’t remember. He wanted to eavesdrop, to hear what he’d missed, but he didn’t have the energy for deception. 

A few minutes later, Johnny was back, holding out a hand for Daniel to take. “Come on, LaRusso,” he said. “We’re going to take a walk.” 

Daniel retracted his hand, already extended in Johnny’s direction. 

“A walk in the parking lot,” Johnny clarified. “Away from all the people.” 

He took Johnny’s hand and let him pull him to his feet. Amanda was already leaning over the clipboards and talking into her phone. She caught his gaze on his way out and gave him a sympathetic smile. 

Johnny kept his hand on Daniel’s back the whole walk out to the parking lot, gently guiding. Daniel didn’t have the strength to shrug him off. 

They were out in the parking lot in a flash, Johnny’s hand on Daniel’s back easily guiding him through throngs of people, his presence behind him a comforting, protective shadow. Once they were free of people, Johnny fell into step beside him. 

“Who is Terry Silver?” he asked. 

Daniel grimaced at the name.

“Okay,” Johnny acknowledged. 

After a moment, Daniel sighed. “You really don’t know him?” 

“Should I?” Johnny asked, and shit, he really didn’t know him, did he? 

“Terry Silver is friends with Kreese,” Daniel bit out, tossing a glance over his shoulder as he said it. “The real owner of Cobra Kai.” 

He stared at the worn dirt beneath his feet and let the words come out of his mouth, flat and expressionless. He told it all – Mike Barnes, being hung off the cliff, the way he watched Jessica get punched in the gut, the training, the bleeding. 

After a while, he became aware that Johnny had taken one of his hands and was examining it, eyes trained on the knuckles. 

“I always wondered what these scars were,” he muttered when Daniel’s monologue stuttered to a stop. He looked up at Daniel over his knuckles, the blue deep and darker than he remembered. “You’re sure you saw him?” 

Daniel nodded, mute. 

Johnny nodded back at him, easy as that, and dropped his hand. “I’d like to see him try something,” he said darkly. 

“No, Johnny –”

“Yes, I do,” Johnny said, and now his jaw was clenched.

Everything felt humid out here, like Daniel was wading through a swamp. His mind was clear enough to know it wasn’t clear, and the time away from the crowds only made him aware that, while he felt better, he certainly wasn’t better yet. 

He looked up, away from Johnny’s stern jaw, and saw the same set of shoulders, the same neck. 

The world dropped away in a second – it felt like a hand closed around his throat, and he couldn’t speak, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t do anything but lift his hand and hope Johnny saw it. Wordlessly, Johnny took his raised hand and turned toward him. 

“LaRusso?” 

He could feel Johnny’s fear bleeding into him – his breathing was rough, uneven, and Johnny turned away from him to follow his eyes. Terry wasn’t facing him, he was walking away, down to some other part of the parking lot, but it was still him, he could feel it in the rigid heartbeat that thudded through his ribs. 

“Get behind me,” Johnny said quietly, tugging Daniel behind him. “Here,” he gently pushed him toward the car. “Get in the car.” 

“John –” it was nothing but a breath, one that he hardly had the lung capacity for. Johnny put one hand on the side of his face and tightened his jaw. 

“I’ve got you,” he said, and shut the car door behind him. Daniel felt the lock slide into place.

***

The next thing he knew, he was asleep in the backseat of Johnny’s car, head resting heavily on Johnny’s thigh. He came to suddenly, like someone had thrown cold water on him. He rocketed upright, almost smacking his head on the ceiling. 

“Whoa, whoa,” Johnny said quietly. “It’s fine, he’s gone. I saw him get into some ugly fancy car and leave.” 

“You – you saw him?” 

Johnny guided him back down to his thigh. “Yes, LaRusso, I followed him to his car to make sure he wasn’t doing anything. He got in the car with some blonde woman and then they left. That was over an hour ago.” 

“An hour –”

“You were knocked out when I got here,” Johnny said. “I wasn’t sure if I should wake you or not, so I didn’t. Didn’t want to shock you.” 

His hand was running through his hair, gentle and barely there, pinning Daniel to the present, to the backseat of this car, where he was safe, where he was protected. 

“Rest a little longer, LaRusso.”


End file.
